Matt Elliott's rap for Rangers captain

Stafford Rangers manager Matt Elliott admitted captain Craig McAughtrie should have known better after he was one of two players to see red in their defeat at Harrogate.

The central defender collected a second yellow card for comments made to the referee as the game entered injury time at the end of the 3-2 defeat last night.

To compound a miserable evening for the visitors, midfielder Levi Reid was also dismissed after being booked for a second time with just seconds of the match to go.

Elliott said: "Craig is the club captain and he shouldn't put himself in that position when we are 3-2 with four minutes to play.

"We were right back in it but it just sums up the performance. We created more chances for them then they created themselves.

"The first-half was an absolute shambles. After the relief and excitement of Saturday when we got the result the club needed, to go out and perform as sloppily as that is unforgivable.

"Defensively as a team we were overrun, they were more energetic and more athletic than us. I had to ask the lads if they had overindulged after their win on Saturday because it looked that way to me as we were so much off the pace.

"Yes, we got two goals in the second-half but we didn't create those goals and I didn't see us creating too many chances throughout the game.

"We won the second-half 2-0 but I'm not particularly pleased with the performance."

Elliott explained that the attitude of his players was one of the reasons he had agreed to take over as manager following Tim Flowers' resignation.

The former Leicester and Scotland defender said: "They are a great bunch of lads and their effort and commitment are the reason why I am excited at taking on the challenge of keeping us up.

"Their attitude has been spot on but I couldn't stick up for them last night or I would make myself look foolish."